


It's Been A Long Day, Wolfie

by castletown_ranger



Series: Maybe the Real Wolfie Was the Friend We Made Along the Way [4]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom
Genre: Twilight is always just here to help however he can, Warriors is having a rough time, Wind is having an even worse time, we gettin angsty up in here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 04:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20129356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castletown_ranger/pseuds/castletown_ranger
Summary: Warriors is always steadfast in battle. But this one shakes him up quite badly. It's a good thing Twilight's there.





	It's Been A Long Day, Wolfie

**Author's Note:**

> It's not actually too violent, but I decided to put the warning for it just in case.

“Someone get me a bandage!” 

“Here! Here, take this,” Legend ran to Warriors with a roll of gauze and tape. 

“Thank you,” Warriors snatched it from his hands and pointed to a clear spot on the grass. “Take my bedroll, lay it there.” 

Legend nodded and motioned for Hyrule to follow him. They disappeared into Warriors’ tent to search while the captain knelt down in the grass to lay out the gauze and tape. 

“What do you need me to do?” Twilight asked as calmly as he could. He knelt next to Warriors and couldn’t help but notice how his friend’s hands shook. It was slight, but more than Twilight had ever seen him tremble before. Warriors took a deep breath and reached to his side as if to fidget with his scarf, only to remember that it wasn’t there. 

“This is your Hyrule, yes?” the captain asked. 

“Positive.” Twilight nodded. “I recognize these woods, we should be close to the province of Faron.” 

“When the others show up, I need you to take Time and try and find some fairies. I trust you know where to look for them.” 

“Absolutely.” 

“Good. We’ll need at least two.” 

Legend and Hyrule burst from Warriors’ tent. Hyrule carried the bedroll and Legend held a grey box with a heart on it. He set the box next to the gauze and the tape. “Figured you’d want the whole thing.” 

Warriors opened it to see a couple of empty bottles, more bandages, a container of creamy salve, a spool of thread, and a needle. “Yes, I will need these. Thank you.” 

Twilight moved to help Hyrule lay out the bedroll. “Do you think they’ll be here soon?” the humble hero asked. 

“They have to be.” Twilight didn’t intend for his answer to sound so grim, but that was the reality of it. If they weren’t… 

“I see them!” Legend yelled. 

Twilight let out a small sigh of relief. Hyrule took off like a shot, and Legend waved his arms to get their attention. Even at this distance, Twilight could see that it still looked bad. Hyrule stopped just short of Wild, grabbing his arm and pulling him in their direction. Four placed a hand on Sky’s arm as they walked side by side, just slightly behind the long-haired hero. 

And, next to Four and Sky, Time moved steadily with Wind in his arms. 

The young hero’s body was limp as Time held him, secured under the legs and supporting his back. The blue scarf that Warriors had tightened around Wind’s stomach, before taking off to prep the camp, was now stained with red. 

Twilight cast one last glance over his shoulder at Warriors. The captain remained kneeling in front of the supplies and the bedroll, his eyes hard and his jaw set. His mouth formed a tight line and Twilight saw none of the trembling that he noticed earlier. Warriors couldn’t afford that now. 

Hyrule was back with Wild, Sky, Four, Time, and the unconscious Wind in seconds. “Time,” Warriors said, “Lay him down on the bedroll.” 

Gently, Time placed the young hero on the soft fabric, cradling his head until he was settled on his back. Wind moaned but did not open his eyes. The red splotches seeping through the blue fabric of Warriors’ scarf grew slightly from the movement. 

“How much blood has he lost?” Warriors asked, reaching for the gray box. 

“Quite a bit,” Time answered. “We’ve done everything to make it as little as possible, but it is still a significant amount.” 

Warriors nodded and tossed two of the bottles from the box to Twilight. “Go. Be back as soon as you can.” 

“On it.” Twilight thrust a bottle into Time’s hands and ushered him to follow, explaining what Warriors had tasked them with. The last thing Twilight noticed before turning away completely was Warriors feeding the thin thread through the eye of the needle, and Legend holding Wind down by the shoulders. 

____________

  
  


Wind lay under Sky’s sailcloth cape as darkness spread over the camp. The gentle hero was asleep next to Wind, soundless and peaceful, and on the other side of Wind, Warriors sat like a sentry at guard. His sword lay across his lap, shield resting at his side. He hadn’t taken off his armor. 

Twilight had woken up a few minutes earlier than when Warriors was scheduled to wake him for the next watch. He kept still. He couldn’t help but watch the way Warriors would glance down at Wind every so often, the crease between his eyebrows never disappearing. Wind’s chest rose and fell steadily, and the captain placed a hand on the young hero’s head every now and then to brush the hair from his face. The bloody scarf was no longer wrapped around Wind’s stomach, but draped over him just as the sailcoth was. 

Twilight’s gaze shifted over to Wild. His protege lay close to him, fast asleep without any unusual hitches of breath or fidgets. At least Twilight could be happy about this. Wild deserved a restful night’s sleep for once. 

After gently running his hand through Wind’s hair a couple more times, Warriors stood and made his way silently over to Twilight. The closer the captain got, the more Twilight could see his distress written on his face. His eyes looked puffy, and his face shone with the streaks of tears he had not wiped away. Twilight wasn’t sure if Warriors knew he was awake, and also wasn’t sure if Warriors would want him to see the signs of him crying. So he closed his eyes. 

The soft footsteps approaching him eventually stopped and Twilight felt a hand on his shoulder. Allowing himself to blink a couple times, he looked up to see the captain crouching closely in front of him. “My turn already?” Twilight asked. 

Warriors nodded. “Wind’s breathing and heart rate are sound. His bandages shouldn’t need changing until tomorrow morning, but please keep an eye on them anyway.” 

Twilight got to his feet as Warriors stood again. “Of course, I will. Get some sleep, Warriors.” 

The captain’s eyes stared through Twilight rather than at him. He let out a tired chuckle. “Yeah, if only.” He walked a couple paces past Twilight. “I think I’m going to find some more firewood.” 

Twilight turned to see Warriors quickly bring a hand up to wipe his face. “I really think you should rest,” the wolf-cloaked hero pressed. 

Warriors’ shoulders deflated slightly. He shook his head. “I can’t.” 

Twilight watched as Warriors made his way towards the trees. 

Once his friend was gone, he went to sit by Wind. It was reassuring to see the young hero fast asleep. His breath was less labored than it had been when he and Time returned with the fairies earlier, and no blood seeped through his bandages onto the sailcloth. Twilight’s eyes drifted to Warriors’ scarf, though. The stains on it probably wouldn’t come out, at least not until after many washes. 

The helpless look in Warriors’ eyes as he saw Wind fall during the fight was burned into Twilight’s mind. It was a look he had never seen on his friend’s face before. Always confident in rest, always stony in battle, the sheer franticness of the captain was something that took Twilight by surprise. It was something he never wanted to see again, frankly. 

Half an hour of his watch passed. Or at least, it felt like half an hour. Warriors had still not returned from the forest, and Twilight grew wary. With one last glance at Wind to make sure he was still stable, Twilight reached over towards the sleeping Sky. 

Sky’s eyes fluttered as Twilight shook his shoulder. “Wha...Twi?” 

“Everything’s fine,” Twilight said, “But I need to go check on something. Could you watch the camp for a little while?” 

Sky sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, sure. Wait, are you sure everything’s okay?” 

“Yes...I think. Warriors left to go get firewood a little while ago, and I just want to make sure he didn’t get lost.” 

Sky nodded. “Be back soon.” 

“I will.” 

As Sky adjusted himself to sit next to Wind, Twilight took to the trees. A few paces in, he shifted into his wolf form to catch a whiff of Warriors’ scent. The smell circled about a couple times, as if Warriors had been pacing, and then went deeper into the forest. Treading lightly, Twilight moved through the night in search of his friend. 

It took only three minutes to find him. The captain was slumped with his back against a log in the middle of a moonlit clearing; his head snapped up when Twilight drew nearer, and a hand went to his sword. 

“Who’s there?” his voice cut through the thin air. 

It only dawned on Twilight just then that a creature approaching from the forest might spook Warriors more than he intended to. Warriors jumped to his feet, a sign of attack, but when Twilight padded into the clearing he saw the recognition in Warriors’ eyes almost immediately. The captain lowered his sword. 

“Oh. It’s just you.” Warriors’ voice held no emotion when he spoke. He sat down against the log again and tilted his head back. “I’ve got nothing for you,” he said, staring at the sky, “You can be on your way, Wolfie.” 

But Twilight tread over and leaned down to press his nose to Warriors’ hand. 

“I said, I don’t have anything,” Warriors repeated. His voice carried a little more bite to it. “If it’s food you’re looking for, go find Wild. I’m sure he’s got something in his bag.” 

Twilight sat down and rest his head against Warriors’ arm. 

“I said get lost!” Warriors yelled. Twilight automatically flinched away. For a moment he was worried someone in the camp might have heard that, but that worry was secondary to his worry for his friend. After letting out a small whimper, Twilight turned and retreated into the forest. He heard Warriors let out a sigh as he left. 

A few moments later, Twilight showed up with a stick in his mouth. He dropped it at Warriors’ feet. 

“What?” It was more of a statement than a question from the captain. 

Twilight picked up the stick again, and dropped it closer to Warriors. He looked at the captain wagged his tail. 

An empty smile formed on Warriors’ face. “Are you serious?” 

Twilight circled around the stick. 

With a heavy exhale, Warriors picked up the stick and threw it. Twilight took off after it, and brought it right back. 

“Alright, that was too easy,” Warriors said, picking up the stick again. He reared back and put more force behind his throw. Twilight took off just as it left his hand, and caught it before it hit the ground. 

Turning around, Twilight saw that Warriors’ shallow smile had deepened. It didn’t look forced or tired anymore. The captain jumped to his feet when Twilight brought the stick back again, and reached for it before Twilight had put it down. Warriors tugged, Twilight tugged harder, and soon Warriors was laughing and swinging the stick back and forth. Twilight kept up the tug-of-war for a couple minutes before letting Warriors have it. The captain fell onto his back, chuckling, and Twilight sat on the ground next to him and curled close to his side. The captain’s hand rested on Twilight’s fur. 

“Okay, this was pretty fun,” Warriors breathed. “Who knew you’d show up tonight right when I needed you, huh?” 

Twilight allowed Warriors to stroke his fur, similarly to how he’d moved his hand through Wind’s hair earlier. It was strange at first. The only person Twilight usually let this kind of contact from was Wild, but his guesses had been correct so far and he knew that Warriors needed comfort. This was okay. As long as Warriors never actually found out that it was him. 

“It’s been a long day, Wolfie,” Warriors’ voice took on a more subdued tone. “I mean, we spent most of it at the camp since we haven’t had a day of rest in a long time. But we got ambushed only a couple minutes after some of us strayed away. These monsters have been meaning serious business lately. And usually we’re pretty good at the fighting, but…” 

Warriors’ voice trailed off. Twilight felt his hand stop moving too. Not being able to say anything in this form, Twilight simply shifted to rest his head on Warriors’ chest. 

Three sniffles came from Warriors before Twilight even registered what they were. He’d felt the shift in Warriors’ breathing pattern, but his friend’s whimpers sounded more like sighs than anything else. On the third one though, Warriors reached up to rub his face, and when his hand came away, it came away wet. 

“I can’t tell you how scared I was today."

Twilight let out a deep exhale, and Warriors moved his hand to run through Twilight’s fur again. 

“We were fighting a pack of bulbins. Except they weren’t quite like other enemies we’d seen before; these ones rode on top of giant boar-like creatures.” 

Twilight could see it all again as Warriors spoke. The green monsters with flaming arrows and masks on their faces. The boars with red eyes closing in on them. Warriors continued, “Twilight recognized them as monsters from his Hyrule. We did our best to shoot them down, but they were fast. And none of us had mounts either. The advantage was not with us. And I… I had been keeping such a close eye on Wind. We were side by side for the entire battle and I turned for one moment to…” Warriors’ breath hitched. “I turned for one moment, and the next moment I heard him scream.” 

Twilight could not see the tears streaming down Warriors’ face, but he could hear them in the shaking breaths he took. 

“One of the boars had its tusk was buried in his stomach. It lifted him up into the air, and threw him.” 

Twilight remembered how Warriors ran. How he dove and caught Wind and immediately began applying pressure to the wound. He was so focused on his task that he hadn’t seen the boar charging them again, and before Twilight could even yell from the opposite side of the battlefield, Time was there, like a shield between the boys and the boar. Twilight remembered the blood coating the ground around them too. 

“It was one moment, it was just one moment.” Warriors sobbed freely. “He almost died because of me. I can’t afford to be so careless.” 

Twilight involuntarily whined. Warriors had done nothing wrong. People got injured in battle all the time, and sometimes the circumstances made it so no one could do anything to prevent that. That was just the way fights went. It was also impossible to have one’s attention solely focused on one thing and one thing alone while a battle raged. So while Warriors’ instinct to keep Wind safe was admirable, and understandable, there was only so much within his power that he or anyone could really do. 

Twilight knew that Warriors knew these things deep down. But right now, he could not talk him through this. Warriors, who was always calm and cool, who never cracked, who barely went a day without making sarcastic jokes, and protected his friends like they were his brothers, just needed to let this out. The best thing Twilight could do, just as he knew with Wild, was to listen. 

“Wind should be fine, now,” Warriors said, after a few still moments of crying. “We got him to the camp, I stitched him up because we didn’t have any potions left, and Time and Twilight went to get fairies to help with the healing process…So, yeah, he’s fine now. But for a moment it was just scary.” 

Twilight wanted to tell Warriors that it was okay to be scared. That he was often scared for Wild in the same way. But instead he nuzzled closer to Warriors’ chest and let his tail flop over his friend's legs. After a few quiet moments of Warriors running his hand through Twilight’s fur passed, his breathing evened out again. Once Twilight was certain his friend was okay, he stood up with his ears perked as if something got his attention, and dashed into the trees. 

Time to shift back into his human form and pretend he had simply just stumbled upon Warriors to bring him back to camp.

**Author's Note:**

> I love the common understanding of the LU fandom that Warriors and Wind are brothers. That's it. No questions asked. So I decided to add a little angst to it.


End file.
